Interview Me II: From Phil

The second of a few interviews with me, this one with questions courtesy of Phil. Rules come first…

1. If you want to participate, leave a comment saying “interview me” (or something that gets that point across).
2. I will respond by asking you five questions – each person’s will be different.
3. You will update your journal with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

…the interview comes next:

If someone offered to sponsor you to head back to college no matter the cost, would you accept, where would you go, and what would you study?

Would I accept? No question about that — definitely.

Where would I go? Not the foggiest. Off the top of my head, I’m fairly happy in Seattle right now, so the University of Washington is an obvious possibility, but I’m not going to say that’s the only possibility. Though…would an exchange program to a good university somewhere in Europe be out of the question? ;)

As for the “what”, three things immediately pop into my mind.

First off, and fairly obviously, it’d be a really good idea to get some sort of formal schooling and certification in computers. I’ve been working with them for years, and like to think that I’m not to shabby, but the downside to being self taught is that I’ve ended up something of a jack-of-all-trades. A little bit of experience across a wide field. As good as that is, it’s a little hard to put on a resume or job application, especially when none of the projects I’ve pursued have ended up with any sort of “proof” or certification.

Secondly, my original intent when I graduated high school was to be a theatre major. I was involved in high school theatre from my freshman year through my senior year, and then even for a couple years afterwards, as I was one of the few people around Anchorage who had any clue how the antiquated equipment in my high school’s theatre worked. I was only onstage once, but I had an absolute blast working on the tech crew the entire time I was involved.

Of course, if I were to pursue that, it’s a very good thing that I didn’t go into it back then. I’ve done a lot of growing into myself since then, and would be far more likely to be able to get onstage now. Back then, I was far too self-conscious to be able to be on stage. Now, though, I think that if I looked into it, I’d either not completely embarass myself — or if I did embarass myself, I’d at least be comfortable enough to have fun with it.

Lastly, one possibility that’s been bouncing around in my head for the past few years is going into teaching. I’ve had more than a few people mention that they could see me as a really good teacher — strong communication skills, a large amount of patience, an ability to get along with all sorts of people, and a genuine enthusiasm about the subjects I have an interest in. Were I to go that direction, it would have to be something in the arts or humanities (I am so not a math or science person) — history is a field that I’ve been thinking about. The older I get, the more fascinated I get not just in what’s going on around me, but in how we got where we are.

What’s the one thing you’d like to say to the MS flunkies at your workplace concerning the Mac vs. PC arguments?

Mostly, that in the end, it’s a silly argument. It can be a fun argument if you don’t approach it from a zealot’s point of view, but it’s essentially silly. What works for me works for me, and what works for them…well, it doesn’t really work that well, but they seem to be fine with that. ;)

Oh, and that I’m right and they’re wrong. Nyeah-nyeah. Windows 5uXX0rZ!

When it comes to having information available at your fingertips, are you a voracious consumer, or do you fear information overload?

Hrm…yes. I’m a voracious consumer, and I fear information overload. Or, rather, I revel in it. I’ve got 100-some sites subscribed to in NetNewsWire, and if I go for more than a day without checking in, I’m convinced I’m missing out on something incredibly important. I’m usually not, but the compulsion to find out is always there. Of course, the downside is that I can’t keep everything in my head, and I’m constantly saying that I “just read something about that…” but have no clue where I read what I’m talking about. But even then, as long as I’ve got Google, Feedster, or Technorati, than I’m good to go.

If you could instantly master one skill you know nothing about now, what would it be and why?

Muppets. No matter how much of a tech geek I may be, or how much I may enjoy the latest and greatest CGI special effects extravaganza, every time I watch the behind-the-scenes documentary on either Labyrinth or The Dark Crystal I’m spellbound by the magic that these craftsmen can produce. Taking simple (and some not-so-simple) foam rubber puppets and giving them such incredible, believable life creates a spell that no CGI can equal. Given the time and expertise, it’s hard for me to imagine a more perfect and fun job than being able to be part of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

Do you have your G5 yet?

Not yet — mid to late September is the current expected ship date.